Easy Solutions for a Damp Basement | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2024
- In this video This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey teaches Kevin O’Connor what he needs to know about handling wet basements.
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Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains basement moisture control to Kevin O'Connor. After discussing some of the most common causes of wet basements and their consequences, Richard shows Kevin some methods for controlling them. Richard then explains how dehumidifiers work and how they may be the best option.
Wet Basement Woes are Hardly Universal
Believe it or not, only about 40 percent of homes in the U.S. have basements. However, of those homes that do have basements, 60 percent have moisture problems. These problems may include rainwater not dispelling far enough from the eaves, groundwater soaking through the foundation, or moisture vapor making its way into the home. And despite not everyone having these issues, everyone who does dislikes them.
Why Wet Basements are a Problem
Make no mistake, wet basements can be a problem-especially when it comes to mold. Mold needs three things to grow: the right temperature, moisture, and organic matter. All of these conditions exist in the average wet basement, and mold can grow, causing damage and health concerns.
When Grade is an Issue
Sometimes, the issue is that the grade pitches back toward the home. In these cases, there are two options: regrade the property or install French drains around the outside of the building. Both options will route the water out to the yard and prevent it from soaking into the basement.
Also, adding downspout extensions to the gutters may allow the rainwater collecting on the roof to drain further away from the home. This can protect the foundation and prevent water from soaking the ground around the basement walls.
When It’s Groundwater or Vapor
Most of the materials used to construct foundations aren’t waterproof. Poured concrete, concrete blocks, and fieldstone are porous and will allow water to get into the basement. The option here is to seal the walls with hydraulic cement or epoxy paint. Another option is to use plastic sheeting to keep the moisture from making its way into the basement.
One other option that’s popular in basement spaces is a floating subfloor with a plastic backing. These hard plastic backings have feet that hold them up off the floor and allow water to pass underneath them without soaking the USB on top.
If It’s Humidity
Not all humidity is bad (in fact, humans are most comfortable around 30 percent humidity). However, high humidity levels in a basement can be a problem. For these conditions, the best solution is often a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers are essentially low-powered air conditioners. They have cold coils on which moist air condenses. Once it condenses, it falls into a tank that the homeowner has to empty. They also have hose spouts that act as drains, and some even come with pumps that push the condensed water out of the unit and into a drain.
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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Easy Solutions for a Damp Basement | Ask This Old House
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The way he explains everything so thoroughly is so good. Anyone can understand and remember what he said.
At common temperatures, mold starts just after 65%. I keep my crawlspace dehumidifier set at 60%. It's not as comfortable as 40-50%, but it's not meant to be comfortable, it's meant to keep mold from growing without unnecessarily using energy.
Purchased: August 2022 - still works GREAT! ruclips.net/user/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn I live in a studio and during the summer it gets scorching hot - really old building with no ac units. I can’t express how EASY it was to install.This unit has been a life savior during the summer and some days during other seasons where it can still be a bit warm at night. In this small place is my friend, a husky, poodle mix and myself. We need AC - lolI don’t use the dehumidifier option - I’m not sure if it will leak in my house, since I did not install the small draining hose that came with it. May look into it late but I don’t worry about much humidity in the apartment.I don’t understand why the negative reviews since all things mentioned, I personally did not find issues with. Definitely worth it!
The wood product is called Dricore and used to be good (early 2000s). It used to be 3/4 particle board over 1/4 dimple membrane. Its now just under 1/2" particle board with the 1/4 membrane. The quality has also gone down since about 2019 when they decreased the sizing. Its always not compressed as well, so it warps easily. We had to remove some when it got water damage and the new stuff doesn't connect with the older, better stuff.
You couldn’t have timed this better with a record breaking rain storm in the Midwest and tons of freshly wet basements!
The best humidity level is under 55% and usually over 40 or 45%. Under 55 kills all the dust mites. Too much under 45 and it will be less healthy again.
Set dehumidifier on a low shelf. Attach garden hose to the unit and place end of garden hose in sump pump well.
That's what I plan on doing in the house I'm getting. Has a sump pump and will hook my dehumidifier there or anywhere in the basement really so long as I have a long enough hose.
Just a little FYI if your basement is below 68° you may find that your dehumidifier ices up. That's what happened to mine and what I did to solve the problem was I bought a real small portable heater 500 watts . I bought it on Amazon for about 12 bucks and I put it in front of the air intake it only raised it to about 71 72 degrees but that was enough to keep it from freezing up at it is working just fine now. Take care and be safe
Manual on mine says it could ice below 45. So far It runs ok in low 60s in my basement
“Control the water, and control the humidity” 👌 Perfect summary of what needs to be done. Never thought about those two separately.
60-70% humidity…..we all that Wednesday in South Carolina. 🤷🏼♂️🥵
These guys are the best have owned my home since 2017 and are my go to for ideas on tackling my projects
Informative. I had no idea about the humidity in baser
while 35% humidity may seem ideal, most basements are not tight enough to reach that level without the unit running 24/7, which will jack up your utility bill. I have found 50% or so to be enough to get rid of sweaty pipes and my unit runs just a fraction of the time. You may also find a no-frills unit at a tag sale for pennies on the dollar, and all it needs is a cleaning. The older models will last 20 - 40 years with intermittent use, unlike the new ones. BTW, I have a rubble rock foundation in lower New England, so we get dampness!
Just bought a new dehumidifier for my rubble stone basement. It read 80% humidity as soon as I turned it on last night lol. Horrible! Hoping to see a good result today from running the dehumidifier.
@@checkfoldcallraise ... be aware that it will run quite a bit in the first week or so till things dry out... and the more storage you have in your basement the more things you have to hold moisture. A good de-cluttering and running a shop vac on the floor to get rid of dirt will work wonders.
If I set my dehumidifier to 30% it would run almost nonstop and my electric bill would skyrocket. I keep mine set at 55% - not ideal, but I don't get mold growth and it doesn't run so much that it'll bankrupt me. I'm in the US Northeast, so summers tend to be hot and humid.
Kevin always takes the good products at the end of the video 😂
The dehumidifier uses so much electricity though and you have to run it constantly. An electrician told me once that if you put a few box fans around the basement just moving air around can help with the "musty" -ness. It wouldn't use as much electricity, i haven't tried that though..
Thanks for these no BS videos.
this video has amazing timing.
The ge model you showed I own. It works great and it has a built in pump
This was good info… my house is over 100 years old I would like more videos on basement remodel
Sump pumps and proper piping work best along with great landscaping and poured concrete wall with drain board construction these four items equal a dry basement.
Awesome, thanks guys!💦
Great segment. One detail of note : for human HEALTH, the optimum range is 40 to 60% and not the 25-30% you stated. You can find this in ASHRAE standards and many other health related documentation. Of course, it's hard to keep this level in old houses which are not airtight, but it's still worth mentioning.
60% humidity is what makes damp basements grow mold. We need to off set it but targeting 30% humidity not 60% so why he said was correct.
I use to watch this show all the time
Put in rain gardens!! Helps prevent erosion, foundation damage, damp basements and it helps the environment. Its best to tell the water where it should go especially when its 10 feet away from the house and native plants have deeper routes that soak in that water.
Very awesome
I would like for ATOH to do a video comparing dehumidifiers for quality, price, longevity and repairs. I am sick of purchasing them and they don't last but maybe 2 years. Frigidaire was my last purchase and it had the shortest life.
We just replaced my mom's General Electric after 2 years. It sucked. I have two in my Ohio basement -- an 18-year-old whirlpool and a 15-year-old gold star. My one buddy used to keep windows open in the basement for some reason and he didn't realize how it kills the dehumidifier FYI.
Your experience matches mine! I got to buying them from Sears and would buy the extended warranty, which was expensive, but less than buying a unit outright. When one went bad, they would just replace it with a new one. At least until Sears dying days, then they repaired it, but did their best to make it difficult for me. They kept trying to make me keep coming back to the store to see someone who wasn't there when I was there. They were hoping I would give up and go away. I would expect life expectancy to be similar to a window air conditioner, but dehumidifiers are lucky to last a couple of years. The only good thing is they use a lot less energy than 20 or 30 yr ago. I currently don't have one, as I dont know of one that is well made.
Same here. The chinese made dehumidifiers do not last very long.
@David Boozer great economic strategy, spend needless money for a subscription for a one time use to save money.
Contact your representative and push them to pass mandatory minimum warranty laws like they have in the EU
35% seems very low
I set mine at 55% and have no issues. More than that and it’s too humid, less than that and my electricity bill kills me.
For my wooden floor the manufacturer recommended 40% minimum indeed
We set ours for 50% and that seems nice for our basement. No mold, etc.
We just spent $8k on an around the house French Drain. Make sure if you install one-INSIST on at least 1 inch washed round river rock. Do not use pea gravel.
Solid
So I need a French Drain AND a Dehumidifier ❤ good to know ❤
In Florida run a dehumidifier full time and I’ll be lucky to get it down to 55.
@David Boozer I have two whole house dehumidifiers, three central A/C units and a mini split heat pump. At full tilt I can get to 55% humidity indoors. It’s damp living on the ocean.
I love you guys. ♥️🇺🇸
Which humidifier with a pump would you recommend? I'm not sur what to look for.
This is what I need - that floor moisture absorber. I have the same dehumidifier. I had a job done to fix this problem. Wish I’d seen this sooner. He installed a sump pump and it was expensive. The damp spots still there. Any advise?
I might just swap out my old electric hot water heater for the hybrid heat pump model. It dehumidifies the air and cools it.
I keep my dehumidifier in the basement. The HVAC draws some air from the basement, so the dehumidifier keeps the rest of the house nice and dry too, not just the basement. Very helpful on hot and humid days. Keeps the AC from having to work as hard. You can keeps your house at 72 degrees but it's still going to feel hot if the humidity is above 60%.
@Matthew Gastian: Maybe you've already considered this, but in case not, test for radon in your basement. If you're pulling basement air into the rest of your house, you could be dispersing radon--a carcinogen--into your living areas.
@@ncooty Thank you for your reply. Thankfully, we tested last year and found our basement was way above the limit. Installed a mitigation system for $1000 and it keeps levels well under the limit now, and we have an air qualify monitor in the living room that monitors Radon levels.
Explains why the basement return vent was covered with duct tape when we first moved in 😬
@@mgast67: Glad to hear/ read it. I guess there's also a supply vent (or an open flow from another level) to avoid negative pressure down there. Sounds like you've got it covered. 👍
Seal up you home’s cold air returns. Do not pull air from the basement.
I was really hoping you'd show some options for where to send the pumped water... Out a window? To the french drains along my basement floor? Into the existing plumbing/drain? That's where I'm a bit lost.
I do mine into the existing plumbing drain. I just took a small (cut-off) section of garden hose, screwed it to the dehumidifier, and routed the hose over next to the drain. Been doing the job for years. Good luck!
Luckily, I have a walk in shower in my basement and I route the hose to that drain.
I keep our house at 40-45% humidity as I have wooden instruments which are worth thousands that I don't want to dry out.......................Ideally I'd love to see 40-42% year round.
Air conditioner in the summer, and HVAC humidifier in the winter does the trick.
what about if you have a really dry basement? the humidity in my basement is around 20% even with my humidifier turned all the way up and causes me to get a dry throat and eyes.
I just keep my basement nice and moist around 70%. Keep my vast collection of cigars down there. It’s like a huge humidor.
@2:34: I guess he didn't want to get into absolute vs. relative humidity. However, 25 - 30% RH is too low. I know of no credible sources that would recommend RH that low; Id be curious to know where Richard found that info. Most credible sources recommend 40 - 50% RH.
I thought the same thing, when it gets to 35 percent humidity in the winter at my house my wife is non stop complaining about how dry her skin gets. Also the electrostatic shocks start
@@kylefowler5082: It's worse than that; as humidity drops below 40%, susceptibility to airborne viruses also rises.
@@ncooty actually, it's even worse than that. Low humidity can damage your guitars.
@@ncooty Viruses don't exist
@@AIKnowYou: Well played, so to speak. :)
I need two dehumidifiers down in my Ohio basement. They're taking care of business
“That’s a good Friday night” 😂
I moved into the current home when Clinton was President, bought a GE, lasted me 15 years of service. Then after that, I HAVE to buy a new dehumidifier every other year, because those small appliances were MADE CHEAPLY IN CHINA. I even took apart one recently deceased unit and realized that instead of using aluminum tubing for the coil, the factory used steel to save cost? All of the made in China models I purchased in the last 10 years were all built the same; steel rusted, then Frezeon leaked, the end.
Wonder if you boys can make a sequel in this topic and provide some tried and true brands and models for us home owners?
Thank You, always a big fan of your program.
You can add your own condensate pump to an existing dehumidifier if you have no sump, and send that water to a sink drain or the washer drain pipe. Some pump their water outside to a collection barrel for watering plants/flowers/gardens. However, in a cold climate, you don't want to send it outside as the line will freeze. Would like to know the model brand they last showed...anyone? NEVERMIND-its a Midea brand Smart Cube 30pt and only from that orange box place.
What is the best humidity setting to have you Dehumidifier at?
30-50 never turns the dehumidifier off. My electric bill doubled when I used that setting.
35% RH is almost impossible to achieve unless you live in the desert or run your air conditioner 24/7. The CDC and EPA say to keep the RH below 50%.
Can you recommend a plumber in the city of San Diego in California?
Norm knows everything.
Easy solution for a damp basement? Southern Arizona
45-50% humidity. 35% is a a waste of electricity, wear and tear on your dehumidifier.
Please don’t set your dehumidifier at 35. That thing will never shut off
Well. As the years go by, there’s going to be a higher and higher risk of a wet basement. Good thing about those plastic barriers.
And to have a basement and don't have a basement
The information provided in this video is horrendous at times. Keeping RH humidity at 25 to 30% would be nearly impossible in most areas without a crazy number of dehumidifiers and would be pretty cost prohibitive. His explanation of dehumidifier being a air conditioner that isnt strong enough to cool is inaccurate.
25-30% RH is way too low
What is the harm ?
@@user-ss6zt2mo1l Humidity that is too low dries your eyes, skin, nose and throat. But practically if you are in a humid climate, you will use a lot of energy trying to dehumidify the air in your home to 25-30% unless the house is sealed very well
Wow it's 55-60% here all year round
Dad?
dude on right is annoying with his pointless jokes and add to's….